Does SIUE require first-year students to live on campus? 

Yes. All first-time, full-time students who graduated high school within the last 12 months and are not commuting less than 60 miles from their legal parent/guardian home address must live on campus. To view the required housing policy and information about the exemption process, please visit the Residency Requirement page.  

How do I apply? 

Students are admitted to SIUE in order to apply. Once you have activated your SIUE email and password, you can access the Housing application online through the MyHousing portal. After loggin into MyHousing, click the Apply for Housing button and follow the steps through the application. The housing application can be completed within 15 minutes or less. As you work through your application, you can save your progress and revisit it at any time. A $125 application payment is required to submit your application. $50 is a non-refundable housing application fee, and $75 is the housing damage deposit. 

Can I select my own roommate? 

Yes! After the housing application is submitted, you will be able to search for other students who have submitted their housing application. The roommate group pages allow you to: 

• Add a specific person as a roommate (by using their system-generated screen name) 
• Search for a potential roommate by filtering the personal inventory questions 
• Search for a potential roommate through system-generated recommendations 

You can only view other students who have completed their housing applications, so it is important to return often to see other students who have applied. University Housing recommends students begin searching in April to maximize their potential roommate matches.  

Groups can be formed for: 

• Roommates: Two students in a group who would likely share a room together
• Suites/apartment: 
  • Four-person max for first-year areas
  • Six-person max for Evergreen Hall

The roommate group pages will lock on May 15, and assignments will start to be finalized. 

What is the guest policy? 

Residents are responsible for the actions of their guests, including financial responsibility for damages, at all times. A guest is defined as anyone (friend or family member), SIUE student or not, who is not an assigned resident of the living unit they are visiting and is voluntarily allowed admittance by a contracted resident of that living unit. In Bluff, Prairie, Woodland, and Evergreen Halls, guests must be signed in at the front desk and must be escorted by their host at all times while in the living areas of University Housing. In Cougar Village, guests must be with their host while in the resident's living unit. 

Unauthorized Guests  

All residents of a living unit are subject to discipline if unauthorized guests are discovered by University Housing staff. All overnight guests are considered unauthorized unless the resident has signed the Overnight Guest form at their community front desk. The resident and guest are both required to sign the form in person.

Who is responsible for cleaning student rooms?

Each University Housing resident is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of their suite (room and bathroom) or apartment. University Housing staff assists residents with this process by helping them have conversations with their roommates about sharing the cleaning responsibility. Housing staff conduct cleaning and safety inspections several times a year. During the inspection, staff enter living units and assess whether the unit is clean and safe by Housing standards (standards can be found in the Living Guide. 

Whom should students contact for room repairs?

Students must submit a work order while connected to campus wifi for any repairs or maintenance requests. University Housing Facilities Management (UHFM) will contact you through your SIUE email with updates. Submit a Work Order 

Where do I find out about employment? 

Our University Housing employment site provides information about the campus climate, job description, department culture, and much more. 

How can parents/guardians gain access to their student's housing information? 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an application product of the U.S. Department of Education (which includes SIUE). This means that without the properly signed documentation, we cannot discuss your student’s records with you. That includes their housing bill and assignment, roommate information, enrollment status, and more. 

In order to gain access to the housing-related information, your student can visit MyHousing and complete the Third Party Authorization Form under Housing Forms, allowing you access to their housing information and records. When you call or come into the office, you will have to provide a password that the student provided us on the form. We will keep that form on file. 

What is an LLC and why should I live in one?

A Living Learning Community (LLC) is a housing option where students with shared majors or interests live and learn together. At SIUE, we call these Learning Living Communities. 

Living in an LLC offers enhanced academic and social opportunities, stronger connections with faculty, and a greater sense of belonging. Many LLCs include shared classes or special programs that support collaboration, study groups, and community events. Students can also take initiative to plan projects or activities that align with their interests. Overall, LLC residents often report higher GPAs, deeper involvement on campus, and a more rewarding SIUE experience. 

Living Learning Communities

• Business 
• Engineering
• Education
• Health Professionals  
• Nursing  
• Honors (first-year and upperclass) 
• Transfer (upperclass only)  

What housing accommodations are available for students with disabilities? 

University Housing provides accessible living spaces that meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Each residential area includes units specifically designed for students with mobility, sensory, or other accessibility needs. 

If you require housing accommodations, please indicate your needs on your University Housing Application. Students requesting accommodations must also register with the Office for Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) and provide appropriate documentation. University Housing will collaborate with ACCESS to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to support your needs. 

Examples of possible housing accommodations include: 

• Wheelchair-accessible units and bathrooms 
• Visual or auditory alert systems 
• First-floor or elevator-accessible rooms 
• Adjustable furniture or room modifications 

Campus transportation is provided by Madison County Transit (MCT), and all buses are wheelchair accessible. 

How does the meal plan work? 

Residential Meal Plans are an "a la carte" structure, meaning you pay for what you eat. The selected meal plan will be loaded onto the SIUE Cougar Card at the beginning of the semester and the Cougar Card is used like a debit card at campus dining locations. 

When you purchase a residential meal plan: 

• Part of what you pay upfront goes toward fixed dining costs (like supplies, staff and maintenance). 
• The rest of your meal plan money is added to your Cougar Card for you to use to make purchases. 
• Because you already paid some costs in advance, the food you buy with your Cougar Card is discounted. 
• You do not pay sales tax on your food when using these meal plans. 

Our students can eat wherever they want on our campus using their meal plan. Discount pricing is not available at Union Station. We do not recommend using the residential meal plan at Union Station.

Any balance remaining on the meal plan at the end of the fall semester rolls over to the spring semester for use.